Associate Vice President - Payroll

About the Role

We are seeking a seasoned and visionary leader to AVP - Global Payroll Operations across multiple geographies in a SaaS-driven environment. The role focuses on driving digital transformation, ensuring global compliance, and strengthening governance, automation, and scalability to deliver an exceptional client experience.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Lead global payroll delivery across multiple regions within a SaaS-enabled model. (India & Middle East)
• Drive automation, process excellence, and digital transformation to enhance accuracy and efficiency.
• Establish robust governance across payroll systems, integrations, and data management.
• Ensure adherence to global tax regulations, statutory filings, and audit standards.
• Oversee financial governance including cost optimization, pricing strategy, and gross margin management.
• Define and monitor SLAs, KPIs, and service excellence metrics.

Escalation & Risk Management

• Serve as the executive escalation point for critical payroll issues.
• Conduct root cause analysis and implement preventive measures.
• Build structured escalation frameworks and maintain transparent client communication.

People & Leadership Development

• Lead and develop large, multi-region teams while fostering accountability, innovation, and collaboration.
• Mentor senior delivery leaders and build a strong leadership pipeline.
• Monitor performance and productivity through data-driven insights and leadership KPIs.

Key Skills & Experience

• CA / MBA / Postgraduate with 1620 years of experience in global payroll leadership within SaaS-led environments.
• Deep expertise in statutory compliance, taxation, and multi-country payroll governance.
• Strong understanding of payroll technologies, HRMS integrations, and data privacy standards.
• Proven track record in financial governance, SLA management, and transformation leadership.
• Advanced proficiency in MS Excel and SaaS-based payroll / HR tech platforms.
• Demonstrated success in leading large-scale operational and digital transformation initiatives.